Swift Windsteed

The Swift Windsteed is one of the most recognizable and elegant flying mounts of Pandaria, styled after the mythical qilin (kirin). This creature with the body of a deer, scaled hide, and a flowing mane is considered a harbinger of good fortune and, according to legend, reveals itself only to worthy riders.

The mount arrived in World of Warcraft with the Mists of Pandaria expansion and was originally sold in Blizzard's in-game shop. In 2019 it was retired, and later it returned several times as a promotional reward — through Twitch Drops and Prime Gaming. As of 2026 (patch 11.1, The War Within — Season 2), the mount is considered removed from permanent sale and is only available in a limited way.

This is a versatile ground-and-flying mount: its speed depends entirely on your riding skill, which means it stays relevant at any stage of the game, starting from level 10.

• Rarity and prestige. In 2026, by no means every player owns the Swift Windsteed — it is found among collectors who caught the promotional events of 2022–2024.
• Unique design. Among hundreds of dragons, gryphons, and horses, the windsteed stands out with its Eastern aesthetic and smooth flight animation.
• Versatility. A single mount serves as both ground and flying — convenient to keep within quick access.
• Pandaria aesthetic. A perfect fit for Monk characters, pandaren, and anyone who loves Eastern themes.
• Contribution to collector achievements. It counts toward the overall mount tally for rewards such as Keeper of the Vault.

To use the mount you will need a minimal set:

• A character at level 10 or higher (the unified riding system from Dragonflight).
• The Apprentice Riding skill for traveling on the ground.
• The Expert Riding skill and above — for flight.
• A zone where flight is allowed (most level 80 locations in The War Within).

The item Swift Windsteed itself is added to your bag via mail or directly to your mount collection upon meeting the conditions of a promotional event. After use, the item is learned across your entire Battle.net account.

Since the mount is no longer sold directly, the order of actions depends on whether you obtained it earlier.

Step 1. Check Your Collection

Open the collections window (hotkey Shift+P) and, on the "Mounts" tab, type "windsteed" into the search. If the mount is already there — you took part in one of the past events, and there is nothing to do.

Step 2. Check Your Mail and Inventory

If you activated Prime Gaming or a Twitch Drop but never claimed the reward, the item may have gone to your in-game mail. Reward mails are kept for 30 days, so also check the list of forgotten mail at any mailbox.

Step 3. Track Returns via Prime Gaming

Blizzard periodically brings the windsteed back into the Amazon Prime Gaming reward rotation. The procedure:

1. Sign up for Amazon Prime (or get a trial period).
2. Go to the Prime Gaming page and the World of Warcraft section.
3. Link your Battle.net account in the connection settings.
4. When the windsteed appears in the reward list, click "Claim."
5. Pick up the item in-game — it will arrive on any character via mail.

Step 4. Watch for Twitch Drops

The second return option is viewing campaigns on Twitch. You need to:

1. Link your Twitch account to Battle.net in the Twitch settings.
2. Watch any WoW broadcasts with Drops enabled for at least 4 hours during the event period.
3. Confirm the reward on the "Drops and rewards" page on Twitch.

Step 5. Alternative — the Secondary Market

In a number of regions the mount is resold through boosting services and account shops. Remember: purchasing someone else's account violates Blizzard's user agreement and can lead to a ban.

Since the mount is not farmed directly, "optimization" consists of maximizing your chances of making it into the next promotional wave:

• Link your accounts in advance. Set up Twitch ↔ Battle.net and Amazon ↔ Battle.net before the event starts — at launch the servers are overloaded.
• Subscribe to the news. Follow announcements on Wowhead and the official Blizzard site so you don't miss the start.
• Don't wait for the last day. Prime Gaming events last about a month, but technical issues can take away a couple of days at the end — claim your reward right away.
• Stock up on time for Twitch Drops. Open any WoW stream in the background while you play or work — 4 hours add up quickly.
• Check regional restrictions. Some events are available only for certain countries. Use the Battle.net shop of the region where the promotion is running.